LOCATION LOLETA CA
Established Series
Rev. DWH/JTB/SAA/ET
10/2016
LOLETA SERIES
The Loleta series consists of very deep, poorly drained soils on alluvial fans and fan remnants that formed in alluvium derived from mixed sources. Slopes range from 2 to 5 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 1015 millimeters (40 inches). Mean annual temperature is about 11 degrees C (52 degree F).
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, isomesic Fluvaquentic Endoaquolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Loleta loam on a 2 percent slope under pature grasses and clover at an elevation of 6 meters (20 feet). (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted. When described on June 22, 1988 the soil was moist throughout.)
Ap1--0 to 10 centimeters (0 to 4 inches); very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) loam, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) dry; strong fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine to medium roots; many very fine and fine tubular pores; 5 percent gravels; slightly acid (pH 6.5); clear wavy boundary. (5 to 30 centimeters thick)
Ap2--10 to 36 centimeters (4 to 14 inches); very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) loam, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) dry; moderate coarse subangular blocky parting to moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and medium roots; few medium and common very fine and fine tubular pores; few fine distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) masses of iron accumulation; strongly acid (pH 5.5); clear wavy boundary. (10 to 25 centimeters thick)
Bg1--36 to 81 centimeters (14 to 32 inches); dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) loam, light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) dry; weak medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few medium and common very fine and fine roots; many very fine and fine tubular pores; many medium distinct dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/6) masses of iron accumulation; moderately acid (pH 6.0); gradual wavy boundary. (20 to 46 centimeters thick)
Bg2--81 to 127 centimeters (32 to 50 inches); dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) loam; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) dry; massive; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine and fine roots; few very fine and fine tubular pores; many medium distinct dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/6) masses of iron accumulation; neutral (pH 7.0); gradual wavy boundary. (41 to 107 centimeters thick)
Bg3--127 to 173 centimeters (50 to 68 inches); grayish brown (10YR 5/2) fine sandy loam, light gray (10YR 7/2) dry; massive; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; few very fine roots; few very fine tubular pores; many medium distinct dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/6) masses of iron accumulation; neutral (pH 7.0). (0 to 46 centimeters thick)
TYPE LOCATION: Humboldt County, California; about 5.6 kilometers west of Ferndale, Centerville Road 1.5 miles west of Fern Cottage, 90 meters northeast of northeast corner of barn; 140 meters north, and 210 meters west of the southeast corner, section 6, T.2N, R.2W HB&M; Ferndale Quadrangle (7.5 minutes series); WGS84 Decimal degrees 40.5783333 latitude and -124.3333333 longitude, UTM Zone 10 387146mE 4492789mN, NAD 83.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil Moisture: The soil is usually moist in all parts of the soil moisture control section between the depths of 16 to 48 centimeters (6 to 19 inches) in most years and is saturated in some parts during the months of January and February. The soils have an aquic moisture regime.
Soil Temperature: The mean annual soil temperature at 50 centimeters (20 inches) is 12 to 14 degrees C (52 to 59 degrees F). The average summer soil temperature is about 16 degrees C and the average winter soil temperature is about 10 degrees C. The difference between average summer and winter soil temperatures is 6 or less degrees C.
The mollic epipedon is 25 to 49 centimeters thick.
Particle size control section (weighted average):
Clay content: 18 to 27 percent clay
Rock fragments: 0 to 3 percent gravel
Depth to redoximorphic features: 10 to 25 centimeters
Endosaturation: The water table is at a depth of 10 to 25 centimeters (4 to 10 inches) from December to April, between 25 and 100 centimeters (10 to 40 inches) in May, below 182 centimeters (72 inches) from June through November
A horizon
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 2 or 3 moist, 4 or 5 dry
Chroma: 1 or 2 moist or dry
Texture: loam
Clay content: 15 to 25 percent clay
Rock fragments: 0 to 5 percent gravel
Reaction: strongly acid to neutral
Redoximorphic features: few to many masses of iron accumulation
Size: fine or medium
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 4 or 5
Chroma: 4 or 6
Upper Bg horizon
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 3 to 6 moist, 5 to 7 dry
Chroma: 1 or 2, moist or dry
Texture of fine earth: fine sandy loam, loam, and silt loam
Clay content: 15 to 27 percent clay
Rock fragments: 0 to 3 percent gravel
Reaction: moderately acid to neutral
Redoximorphic features: common or many masses of iron accumulation
Size: fine to coarse
Hue: 10YR, 7.5YR, 5 YR
Value: 4 or 5
Chroma: 4 or 6
Lower Bg horizon
Hue: 10YR, 2.5Y, 5Y
Value: 3 to 6 moist, 5 to 7 dry
Chroma: 1 or 2, moist or dry
Texture of fine earth: dominantly loam but also fine sandy loam, clay loam, silt loam, and silty clay loam
Clay content: 15 to 35 percent clay
Rock fragments: 0 to 3 percent gravel
Reaction: moderately acid to neutral
Redoximorphic features: common or many masses of iron accumulation
Size: fine to coarse
Hue: 7.5YR, 10YR, 5 YR
Value: 4 or 5
Chroma: 4 or 6
COMPETING SERIES: At this time there are no other series in this family.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Loleta soils are on alluvial fans and fan remnants. Slopes are 2 to 5 percent. The soils formed in alluvium derived from mixed sources. Elevations are 3 to 50 meters (5 to 160 feet). The climate is humid with cool, foggy summers and cool, rainy winters. Mean annual precipitation is 890 to 2030 millimeters (35 to 80 inches). The mean January temperature is about 9 degrees C. The mean July temperature is about 14 degrees C. The mean annual air temperature is 10 to 13 degrees C (50 to 55 degrees F). Frost free season is about 275 to 330 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the
Ferndale,
Russ, and
Weott soils. These soils all lack a mollic epipedon. Ferndale soils are have redoximorphic features at depths greater than 100 centimeters (40 inches), are fine-silty, and on high flood-plain steps. Russ soils have redoximorphic features at depths greater than 100 centimeters (40 inches), are coarse-loamy, and on natural levees. Weott soils are have redoximorphic features at 0 to 10 centimeters (0 to 4 inches), are fine-silty, and are on backswamps, depressions, and low flood-plain steps.
DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Poorly drained; very high runoff; moderately slow permeability; moderately high saturated hydraulic conductivity; the lower parts of the profile are kept wet by subsurface lateral flow from the adjacent mountain slopes.
USE AND VEGETATION: The Loleta soils are used for pasture and residential development. Most areas have been cleared. Natural vegetation is estimated to have been alder, willow, Sitka spruce, and scattered redwood and grand fir, with an understory of swordfern, chainfern, blackberry, and grasses.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: California Coastal Redwood Belt; MLRA 4B. The series is not extensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Humboldt and Del Norte area, California 2007. Source of name is from the town of Loleta in western Humboldt County.
REMARKS: Loleta series was originally classified as a fine-loamy, mixed, mesic Fluvaquentic Humaquolls. Reclassified as fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, nonacid, isomesic Fluvaqentic Endoaquolls is based on changes in Keys to Soil Taxonomy, ninth edition, and temperature data recorded in the survey area 2001 through 2004.
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
1. Mollic epipedon - the zone from 0 to 36 centimeters.
2. Cambic horizon - the zone from 36 to 81 centimeters.
3. Aquic Conditions - the zone from 10 to 173 centimeters.
4. Fluvaquentic feature: an irregular decrease in organic carbon from a depth of 25 centimeters to 125 centimeters below the mineral soil surface.
5. Particle-size control section - the zone from 25 to 100 centimeters (Bg1 and Bg2) averages 22 percent clay, and 28 percent fine sand or coarser.
ADDITIONAL DATA: University of California sample 62-CA-12-003 was collected from the 1964 type location (Soils of Western Humboldt County 1965) which occurs in the same area and on a similar landform. Reference samples from pedon number S02CA600-006 from the new site was analyzed by the National Soil Survey Laboratory. Reference samples from pedon numbers S02CA600-007 through 012, 020, and 021 occur in the same area and in similar landforms. Full pedons from numbers S02CA600-015, 17, 21 analyzed by National Soil Survey Laboratory and occur in the same area.
NASIS User Pedon ID: 88CA600002
Soil classified using Keys to Soil Taxonomy, 12th edition.
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.